


Proving Oneself

by Marie198



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23511817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marie198/pseuds/Marie198
Summary: This is the one battle Tsuna wanted to fight--for himself
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Proving Oneself

It was the only battle that Reborn wouldn't allow him to go.

"Tsuna, you can't beat him. You know that better than me."

Tsuna laid his head against the wall. Closing his eyes, he hissed slightly as he moved the wrong way, feeling the wound act up again. He flexed his hand and he could barely feel his fingers. His shoulders ached and his world whirled once more, as he tried to shake the dizziness out.

"Tsuna."

"I know, Reborn," he spoke. Trying to focus on Reborn's voice, his head gradually cleared up. But the ache still throbbed from the back of his head.

"Then stop this foolishness. None of your guardians are in danger and there's nothing wrong with admitting defeat. It shows—"

"Reborn."

His tutor kept quiet at the mention of his name. The inflection of it was stern. Reborn had never heard a tone that strong from Tsuna ever.

"This isn't a fight for them. It's a fight for myself."

Reborn narrowed his eyes. Raising his gun, Tsuna opened his eyes, concentrating on his tutor's stance. He pursed his lips as he sensed the threat from his tutor's posture and aura.

"This is not something to play with, Tsuna."

"Of course it's not. Why do you think I'm doing it even?"

A gun hit onto his head, lighter than normal, almost like a light head butt. "Don't be foolish. You have to think about your guardians. If you die right now, who will be burying you? Them. If you die now, who will cry? Them and your parents. Who will feel like a failure? Everybody."

Tsuna did not miss the almost unnoticeable crack in his tutor's voice. Being his student for four years gave him plenty of time to know his tutor's actions and their meanings. This was especially the case when he had been out of his dying will mode repeatedly, and thus, his intuition was much more sensitive and stronger.

Tsuna rubbed his face, feeling the pressure that Reborn was trying to give him. He knew that he was doing a risky thing that might lose his life. He knew that but...

But he could not allow himself to pass up the chance. This was the first time he wanted to prove himself. His opponent was stronger than him, more powerful and looked down on him. Years ago, Tsuna would have let it pass and just ignore while holding his words in his head like a mantra, reminding himself just how useless he is.

"Reborn, I have to do this." He stood up, wobbling slightly but he managed to still himself. "I can't run away."

"You're not running away when you are allowing yourself to get killed. There's nothing wrong with choosing the battles you'll fight. If you leave now, you can build your strength and fight him again. There's utter no need to do this."

"And I'm choosing this fight right now." He coughed.

"Why do you need to fight him?" Reborn stared at him, cocking his fedora up with his gun. His obsidian eyes bored into Tsuna's, with genuine puzzlement. It was the first time Tsuna saw a puzzled gaze from Reborn.

"Because I've been running away all my life and I don't want to run this time." He stared back with ferocity. "I let all the words they say get to me. I never disagreed or did anything about it. It traps me, Reborn. Every word of theirs. I let it trap me up and this time I don't want to do that. I want to beat him to prove that he's wrong, that I'm not useless as he thinks I am. It doesn't matter whether I'll win. It matters that I don't back away."

Reborn kept quiet. Then he sighed, before dropping the arm with his gun. "If it has gone too far, I'll step in no matter what you say. Got it?" He eyed at Tsuna with a sort of understanding but also resignation.

Tsuna nodded. Then he went forth, walking back to the arena, with his posture unnaturally straight, which Reborn knew it was because Tsuna was pushing himself. As Reborn stared after him, watching his strong posture and gait towards the challenge he set himself upon, he wondered when his student had grown to the person he was. He wondered when his student's resolve became more than what it used to be and when—just when—did he realize that there were some battles that he had to fight for himself.

Then he smiled—a tiny one. "I can't really call you Dame anymore, eh?"

**Author's Note:**

> I always have a kind of pet peeve actually about khr fanfics depicting how Tsuna only fights for his friends and never for himself (even to the extent of letting bullies beat him up coz he doesn't want to fight back). It just never sits right with me because it feels like Tsuna is living for his friends more than he's living for himself and technically speaking, I don't think it's healthy. (that being said, I have nothing wrong with Tsuna being protective. But he should also take himself into consideration as well.) But I digress, that's just my thoughts on it.


End file.
